Engage
by Eden Ann Stark
Summary: There is nothing about their relationship that is even remotely normal. Huddy
1. Chapter 1

AN: This was written with the idea that House and Cuddy have been dating for a while.

* * *

Engage

House limped into Cuddy's office, and noted that she appeared to be especially busy today. There was a large stack of files on her desk, and her brows were furrowed together in an expression of stressful concentration.

"I don't have time to argue today, House, so whatever crazy, dangerous procedure you want to do, you aren't getting permission for it," Cuddy said, irritated.

"I'm not here to get permission."

"God, what insane operation did you already do?" Cuddy asked, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.

"Nothing, recently. This isn't about a patient; it's more about your fun-bags."

"We are not having sex on my desk, House. I don't care how many times you ask, the –"

"You should marry me," House interrupted.

Cuddy paused mid-signature, shocked, and lifted her eyes from her desk for the first time since House came in.

"Well that was romantic," she remarked dryly.

"What do what me to do? Get down on one knee? I'm a cripple Cuddy," House asked derisively.

Cuddy grabbed the files she had completed, and stood abruptly.

"Maybe after you actually finish your clinic hours," Cuddy shot back as she walked past House.

She was almost to the doors of her office when she heard her name, her first name.

"Lisa."

Cuddy hastily turned around, and opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Cuddy watched, at a loss for words, as House walked unevenly towards her. He awkwardly got down on one knee, and thrust his cane into her right hand. He took a hold of her left hand, and slipped an engagement ring on her finger.

"I . . . I haven't even said yes," Cuddy managed.

"No, but you will," House retorted, infuriatingly presumptuous.

Cuddy glowered down at House, and snatched her hand back.

"You still have to finish your clinic hours," Cuddy countered.

She turned and exited her office, leaving House's cane well outside his reach. House eyed her ass until she was out of his line of sight before painfully rising to his full height, smirking all the while. Sex on Cuddy's desk later than night was going to be great.

* * *

Thoughts?


	2. Chapter 2

AN: A continuation of Engage. Thank you to all the people that read and reviewed that story. Hope you like this one as well. :) Please let me know if you find any mistakes; to proofread this, I had my computer 'read' it to me. It was very amusing.

* * *

-Ment

It'd been about two weeks since he proposed, if you could call it that, and the hospital was still buzzing. It'd taken all of ten seconds for someone to find out; a nurse at the front desk had noticed the ring when Cuddy absent-mindedly handed her some files with her left hand. Cuddy vividly remembered the nurse's reaction, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, and she'd almost knocked over her coffee as she fumbled with the files. The Dean of Medicine was already gone when House left her office, and the middle-aged nurse almost fainted at the sight of him leaving. The bickering pair had kept their relationship a secret.

Once the nurse recovered, she frantically searched for someone to tell. At first, the news was spread correctly, but no one really believed that Cuddy would be engaged to House. As the result, what had started out as an incredulous story had turned into an even more unbelievable rumor.

"_Did you hear about Dr. Cuddy?"_

"_No, what about her?" the younger nurse asked, putting a salad on her tray._

"_Well, Rebecca told me that she got engaged yesterday in her office!"_

"_Oh my God, to who?"_

"_No one knows who he is, but Rebecca said that when he proposed, House was in her office with them!" she continued upon seeing her friend's shocked stare. "Apparently after the proposal, he and House started fighting. Rebecca said that Angela saw Cuddy leave, and then House, but she never saw the other guy. She thinks he climbed out the window."_

"_I can't believe that," she replied as she placed a piece of chocolate cake on her tray. "What do think they were fighting about?"_

"_Everybody says House has a thing for Cuddy."_

"_Huh, who do you think the other man is?"_

"_He probably works here; hospital is practically her home."_

That rumor circulated for a few days, but Wilson eventually figured out the truth. Of course, House's current team found out, and then his old team. Soon after that, the hallways of Princeton Plainsboro were filled with talk of their relationship and engagement.

Cuddy had received several amazed congratulations and questions about the wedding, to which she had no answer. It was because of that that she was currently sitting in her office, and ignoring her work. She slid the ring off her finger, and stared at it, thinking about her relationship.

An engagement was supposed to be full of excitement, love, celebration, and nervousness, but so far, the only people feeling most of those emotions was the hospital's staff. It was supposed to be a major step in a relationship, a life-altering change. Yet, nothing had changed between them. They still lived in separate places. Their dates still consisted of lunch in Coma Guy's room or late night takeout in her office when she had to work late. And there had been no talk of a wedding.

She spent most of the day pretending to work while she thought about House or diligently working to avoid thinking about him. Despite being as smart as she is, it took Cuddy some time to realize that although their relationship was not in the slightest bit conventional, she wouldn't have it any other way.

The next day, House found a ring on his desk with a small piece of paper tied to it. He smirked knowingly as he read the only word that was written on the paper before sliding the ring on his finger.

The following couple of weeks consisted of rumors of Cuddy and House eloping.

* * *

Thoughts? OK, this was an incredibly corny ending, but I hope it's not too corny?


End file.
